最准的六合彩论坛

The iKOr device uses an ultra-thin microcatheter integrated with fibre optic sensors and allows doctors to check both blood pressure and blood flow around the heart and look for signs of narrowing and thickening of the arteries 鈥� a common sign of disease. 听

It was developed by a team at 最准的六合彩论坛鈥檚 Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, with assistance from collaborators at Queen Mary University of London. It has since been commercialised through Echopoint, a 最准的六合彩论坛 spinout company.

The technology is now being trialled at Barts Health NHS Trust and so far, three patients have undergone a test for heart disease using the iKOr device. The slimline probe is particularly suited at detecting narrowing of听the very smallest heart vessels, known as microvasculature. These tiny blood vessels do not show up well in the traditional X-rays (angiograms), which are typically used by cardiologists to image the heart鈥檚 larger arteries.

Lead iKOr developer,听Professor Adrien Desjardins (最准的六合彩论坛 Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering), and a co-investigator at the Wellcome-EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences, said: 鈥�The iKOr device is听responding to a clinical need 鈥� to significantly improve how blood flow in the heart is measured.

鈥淥ur microcatheter provides concurrent pressure and flow measurements from inside coronary arteries 鈥� this is unique and makes the tiny blood vessels more measurable, compared to traditional X-rays.听

鈥淭his will help to significantly improve diagnosis and treatment for a large group of patients; those with obstructive coronary artery disease and coronary microvascular dysfunction.

鈥淎n increasing body of evidence shows the importance of accurate assessments of the coronary microvasculature in targeting therapies, which has particular relevance to women and diabetic patients who are more likely to have microvascular dysfunction.鈥�
Having access to more accurate information on the health of a person鈥檚 heart will allow doctors to better decide what course of treatment to prescribe 鈥� medication, surgery or no surgery, or if the patient can stop their medication.

鈥淚n current clinical practice there is a potential for over diagnosis, resulting in invasive surgeries, such as stent insertion, that comes with risk and can take time to recover from," added Professor Desjardins.

鈥淏eing able to more accurately diagnose heart disease, particularly microvascular disease, will mean more patients can be treated with specific tailored drugs that would not be prescribed without a diagnosis.鈥�

The iKOr device has a temperature and pressure sensor that is just 0.2mm wide 鈥� or twice the thickness of a human hair 鈥� which is threaded through the patient鈥檚 blood vessels on an ultra-thin catheter.

It measures the flow rate around the heart by flashing a brief pulse of light upstream of the vessels under investigation, which warms the blood there by about one degree. The sensor detects the time taken for the temperature to change downstream, from which the device can tell whether the flow is obstructed by narrowing of the vessels.

However, before it can be widely used by doctors, researchers need to assess whether the device works safely and easily in patients. The first patient tests, carried out at St Bartholomew鈥檚 Hospital, London, confirm all these qualities 鈥� it is safe for patients, easy to use and works.

Professor Anthony Mathur, lead researcher for this work, based at St Bartholomew鈥檚 Hospital and Queen Mary University of London said: 鈥淚 am pleased to say that we have successfully used this technology in patients for the first time. This new device is a game changer in how we manage heart disease, making it a lot easier to assess the health of a person鈥檚 heart. I look forward to progressing this research and hopefully, seeing it benefit more and more people in east London and beyond.鈥�

Dr Malcolm Finlay, Honorary Associate Professor at 最准的六合彩论坛 Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering,听and a consultant cardiologist at St Bartholomew鈥檚 Hospital said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 an incredible highlight of my career to see a technology that we invented in the hospital and university being used for the first time.

鈥淚t shows the real, tangible benefit that collaboration between NHS hospitals and universities can have for patients my colleagues and I see day in, day out. And it鈥檚 a great example of why it鈥檚 important to carry out research in the NHS. Thank you to the patients who have agreed to be involved in this research and everyone who believed in our vision."

Among the first patients to trial the iKOr was Margaret Green, 75, who has angina and experiences shortness of breath. Speaking on her experience, Ms Green said: 鈥淚t was a strange feeling but not uncomfortable. And I found out that I have something I鈥檇 never thought about: microvascular disease. 鈥淚t鈥檚 brilliant that this research is being carried out in the NHS.鈥�

The current clinical trial is designed as a 鈥榩roof of principle鈥� study and will see听10 patients diagnosed using iKOr. This will be followed by a larger clinical trial to further show that the device is safe and works better than existing tests.

Researchers say it could eventually help many thousands of patients suffering from cardiovascular symptoms such as chest pains, whose cause cannot be identified with current techniques.

Links

• 最准的六合彩论坛 Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering
• Wellcome-EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences at 最准的六合彩论坛

Image

• Credit: Financial Times and Charlie Bibby, 听

Media contact

Dr Matthew Midgley

E: m.midgley [at] ucl.ac.uk